All posts by Randy Russon
U16, U18 Jr. Hound coaches
Sault Ste. Marie is poised to be represented by both Under 16 and Under 18 teams as members of the AAA level Great North Under 18 Hockey League effective the 2024-2025 season. And the head coaches of both programs are already finalizing their staffs ahead of the ’24-25 campaign.
…[read more]1st round OHL playoff forecast
Opening face-offs in the 2024 Ontario Hockey League playoffs are slated to take place tonight. And following are one writer’s opening round predictions as to how the best of seven series will play out.
…[read more]Spitfires to pick first overall
Windsor Spitfires have won the Ontario Hockey League draft lottery. The Spitfires will select first overall at the upcoming April 12 OHL priority selections draft.
…[read more]Along the NOJHL playoff path
Four more more games were played on the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League’s first round playoff slate on Tuesday.
…[read more]U12 to U15 AAA go interlocking
It is being lauded as additional and increased competition. That is, AAA level teams from the Under 12 to Under 15 age groups that represent the Northern Ontario Hockey Association will play games outside their region as part of an interlocking schedule effective the 2024-2025 season.
…[read more]Spitfires not bad in between
WINDSOR — Between a bad start and a bad finish the Windsor Spitfires were not a bad team in the middle of this season. But after finishing atop the Western Conference standings the previous two seasons, the Spitfires failed to qualify for the Ontario Hockey League playoffs this time around.
…[read more]Paper Kings up on Beavers
First week of playoffs in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League are in the books. And of the four first round sets, Espanola Paper Kings are the only lower seeded team with a series lead.
…[read more]Best of the Great North
Timmins Majors are the playoff champions of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League following a 2-1 title tilt triumph today over the host Sudbury U18 Wolves. Meanwhile, the GNU18HL has confirmed its award winners for the 2023-2024 regular season.
…[read more]On to the OHL playoffs
What a difference one year can make. Twelve months ago the Soo Greyhounds were ending a lousy Ontario Hockey League season in which they missed the Western Conference playoffs by a wide margin with a mere 55 points from a record of 20-33-15.
…[read more]EL Vikings … against all odds
There are times when sports — in this case junior hockey — is not about wins and losses. In the case of the Elliot Lake Vikings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, this is a story of survival — not to mention perseverance, courage, strength, commitment and dedication in the face of adversity.
…[read more]Evans aids victorious Vipers
Sault Ste. Marie product Gage Evans played a noteworthy role for the Windsor LaSalle Vipers in their recent Greater Ontario Jr. Hockey League opening round playoff series triumph over the arch rival Chatham Maroons.
…[read more]OHL playoff perspectives
Post season play in the Ontario Hockey League is looming. And writers and broadcasters and super fans are busy listing who they think is going to come out on top and join the host Saginaw Spirit as the two OHL teams at this year’s Memorial Cup tournament.
…[read more]Back to back for Lady Cougars
Sault College Cougars have repeated as national champions of the American Collegiate Hockey Association’s Division 2 women’s program.
…[read more]Dearing boys and Gartshore
Three members of the AA Under 18 Soo Jr. Greyhounds made impressions as affiliate players when the Blind River Beavers and Espanola Paper Kings faced off in a recent Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League game.
…[read more]Hounds set up for playoff run
Fear The North. That is the slogan that the Soo Greyhounds have taken on and are boosting ahead of the looming Ontario Hockey League playoffs.
…[read more]Flint clicks playoff ticket
They have clinched the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League. And with five games to play in the regular season, the Flint Firebirds could still finish as high as fifth place.
…[read more]Lake State via Blind River
Another player from the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League has a future Division 1, National Collegiate Athletic Association commitment with the Lake Superior State University Lakers. Blind River Beavers scoring sensation Daniel Vasic is projected to be at LSSU effective the 2026-2027 college hockey season.
…[read more]Howls from the Great North
Sudbury U18 Wolves have emerged from the pack as the regular season champions of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League. In what was a five team race for first place among the seven members of the Great North, the U18 Wolves skated past the Timmins Majors, Soo Jr. Greyhounds, New Liskeard Cubs and North Bay Trappers.
…[read more]Flint on verge of playoff spot
Playing at the .500 level over their past 10 games has the Flint Firebirds in compressed control of the eighth and final playoff position in the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League.
…[read more]Kam River is first in Superior
Another regular season, another first place finish. A model franchise among the eight teams of the Superior International Jr. Hockey League, the Kam River Fighting Walleye has done nothing but finish atop the standings in each of its three full seasons of existence.
…[read more]Sounds of the OHL Hounds
This has a good feel. The feel of a good team that is positioned for post season progress and potential prosperity. With the regular season in the Ontario Hockey League clicking towards a March 24 closing date, Soo Greyhounds enter play this week in third place in a dog-eat-dog Western Conference.
…[read more]Chitaroni is off the charts
Suffice and suit to say that Hudson Chitaroni is an impact player in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League while up against skaters who are as much as four years older than he is.
…[read more]Spitfires set for future flight
Their ascent to the top of the Western Conference standings over the past two seasons is in descent. Windsor Spitfires may be in a tailspin that will result in them missing the Ontario Hockey League playoffs this season but they are in position to be airborne effective next season.
…[read more]Sault College via Espanola
Leadership. Experience. Involvement. That is some of what defenseman Liam McDonald is poised to bring to the varsity men’s hockey team at Sault College effective the 2024-2025 season.
…[read more]Frantic finish for fourth
Espanola Paper Kings and Soo Eagles are in a frenzied race for fourth place and the final playoff position in the wild West Division of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
…[read more]Firm hold for Flint Firebirds
Tick, tick, tick. As the restless hands of time click away on the regular season schedule of the Ontario Hockey League, the Flint Firebirds have opened a six point lead on the Sarnia Sting and a 13 point margin on the Windsor Spitfires for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
…[read more]Sudbury Cubs; Nickel City Cubs
Sudbury Cubs of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have formed a brand partnership with the Nickel City Hockey Association ahead of the 2024-2025 season.
…[read more]20 goals for Tyson Doucette
It is a milestone attainment for a player who was never drafted into the Ontario Hockey League only to in due course make it as an improbable long shot by way of a free agent tryout.
…[read more]Big news from Sault Major
Quite clear and with no doubt, this is an exceptional hire. Sault Major Hockey Association has confirmed that former Ontario Hockey League and National Hockey League mainstay Jeremy Stevenson will take over as the head coach of the Soo Jr. Greyhounds of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League effective the 2024-2025 season.
…[read more]Spitfires of Sault Ste. Marie
Should the Windsor Spitfires opt to take a player from Sault Ste. Marie at the upcoming April 12-13 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft it would lengthen a long lasting alliance with kids from the Soo.
…[read more]186 points in 89 NOJHL games
Pint size forward Lucas Signoretti has been a prolific points producer ever since signing with the Espanola Paper Kings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League early last season.
…[read more]Hounds handle the top teams
It has been stated that if a team aspires to be the best then it has to beat the best. That utterance certainly has basis relevant to the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League.
…[read more]Flint, Windsor home & home
As they seek to try to preserve the eighth and final playoff position in the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League the Flint Firebirds will face off against the Windsor Spitfires twice this week.
…[read more]Lighting it up in the NOJHL
Forward Lucas Signoretti of the Espanola Paper Kings has passed the 40 goal mark as the regular season in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League heads towards the March 17 finish line. And a number of others have either passed or are closing in on the 30 goal mark.
…[read more]Coach, GM a good fit in Flint
Rookie head coach Paul Flache and first year general manager Dave McParlan have been rewarded by the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League with multi-year contract extensions.
…[read more]Bulldogs and Alexanders
After an absence of close to 20 years, the Ontario Hockey League returned to Brantford ahead of the 2023-2024 season in the form of the relocated Hamilton Bulldogs. Due to impending renovations and long term closure of the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, the Bulldogs officially moved to Brantford and the upgraded Civic Centre on a three year lease commencing with the current ’23-24 campaign.
…[read more]NOJHL boss was an OHL star
These days, Rob Mazzuca is well known as the long serving commissioner of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. With deep northern Ontario roots, Mazzuca has been the league’s commander in chief since 2011. And during his playing days, Mazzuca was no slouch as a standout defenseman who was a first round pick (11th overall) of the Sudbury Wolves at the 1979 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft.
…[read more]Two games for Knight fighter
What was initially an indefinite suspension has turned into a mere two game ban for London Knights enforcer Sawyer Boulton.
…[read more]Ex Hounds fired up in Flint
Alex Kostov and Connor Clattenburg are putting up the points for the Flint Firebirds as they pursue a playoff position in the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League. Kostov and Clattenburg were obtained by Flint from the Soo Greyhounds in a block buster transaction at the January 10 OHL trade deadline.
…[read more]Rock star of the Firebirds
Rookie goalie Jacob Brown, formerly of the Timmins Rock of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, backstopped the Flint Firebirds to a clutch Ontario Hockey League victory on Saturday.
…[read more]To the OHL via the NOJHL
Those in the game who don’t take the time or make the effort to get to know the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League would thus be unmindful to the number of players that it develops for teams in the Ontario Hockey League.
…[read more]Knight assailant suspended
LONDON — The Ontario Hockey League has issued an indefinite suspension to London Knights forward Sawyer Boulton. Boulton was given an instigator penalty relative to a fight with Soo Greyhounds defenseman Matthew Virgilio during the final five minutes of Friday’s loss by the Knights.
…[read more]Hounds light up the Knights
LONDON — Soo Greyhounds turned out the lights on the unbeaten heights of the London Knights before more than 9,000 fans here tonight at Budweiser Gardens.
…[read more]Hounds on the Knight shift
LONDON — Soo Greyhounds will be out to try to halt a fast moving Knight train this evening when they face off against the London Knights in a 7:00 p.m. start here at Budweiser Gardens.
…[read more]Western wear of the OHL
Let us venture here and there in a Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League that features preferable story lines and much more punch and potency than the weak side Eastern Conference.
…[read more]Tales of an old hockey writer
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following passage is an excerpt from a chapter in my book, Tales Of An Old Hockey Writer, which is slated to be published and available for sale by March 1. Mature audiences only.
…[read more]Mindset mentality of the goalie
They perform to the beat of a different drum. They are stationed between two pillars as solitary sentries who guard a net. In a book, they are a chapter of their own.
…[read more]EL Vikings change coaches
Chris Keleher is out as head coach and general manager of the Elliot Lake Vikings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. And Hockey News North has also confirmed that Jon Campbell has been brought in as the Elliot Lake bench boss for the balance of the 2023-2024 NOJHL season.
…[read more]